Longwall cutter driven by equally spaced motors

ABSTRACT

A mineral mining installation composed of a longwall conveyor having a ramped guide member at its mineral free side. The guide member locates on the face and acts as a housing for a traction member having interconnected elements which may be provided with cutters for cutting a groove at the floor region or at the floor and roof regions of the face. The elements, which are flexibly interconnected, have teeth which mesh with pinions driven by a number of hydraulic drive motors distributed along the length of the working. The motors can be housed in the guide member or disposed at the stowage side of the conveyor.

Sann

111 3,811,731 1451 May 21, 1974 LONGWALL CUTTER DRIVEN BY EQUALLY SPACED MOTORS 3,598,060 8/1971 Chitra 104/168 Primary Examiner-Ernest R. Purser [75] Inventor: Bernhard Sann, Aachen, Germany Attorney, Agent, or Firm chittick, Thompson & [73] Assignee: Gewerkshaft Eisenhutte Westfalia Pfund Methmar bie Lunen, Westfalia, G rmany [57] ABSTRACT [22] Filed: Sept. 27, 1972 A mineral mining installation composed of a longwall conveyor having a ramped guide member at its min- [21'] eral free side. The guide member locates on the face and acts as a housing for a traction member having in- [52] US. Cl. 299/34, 299/43 tereenneeted elements which ay e p o ided with 51 1 111.01. E211: 29/00 cutters for cutting a groove at the floor region or at [58] Field of Search 299/32, 34, 43, 44, 45, the fl and roof regions of the face The elements. 299 4 5 1-54; 10 whichare flexibly interconnected, have teeth which mesh with pinions driven by a number of hydraulic [56] References Cited drive motors distributed along the length of the work- UNITED STATES PATENTS I ing. The motors can be housed in the guide member 563,776 7/1896 Lee et al or dlsposed at the stowage me of the conveyor 1,638,507 8/1927 OToole 299 44 26 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to'mineral mining installations.

In the mining of mineral,.particularly coal, in longwall workings, various types of ploughs, cutting and loading machines and other mining machines are known. The driving of the ploughs, together with the operation of advancing cutting and loading machines is usually effected by means of endless chains. Such chains are advantageously guided in a guiding device disposed at one side of a longwall conveyor and entrained around chain wheels provided at the ends of the working. Other forms of machine employ cutting chains which are again entrained around chain wheels provided at the ends of the working. The drive and cutting chains are then driven by one or more usually both chain wheels.

In longwall workings, usually 200-300 metres long or more, the forces to be transmitted through the chains are considerable. The power necessary for driving such chains is utilized not only for the actual mineral detaching and loading work but also to overcome frictional resistance, It has been found that the friction losses caused by the guiding of the highly loaded chains in their guides are particularly great when the chain is subjected to a high degree of tension and .is pulled through guides inclined in the vertical or in the horizontal direction. Generally the power requirements demand-large drive motors and the chains have to be stout and heavy. As a consequence the guides for the chain the conveyor, and the machine frames must also be of adequate strength.

A 'generalobject of the invention isto provide an improved chain drive system. A further object of the invention is to provide improved mineral mining installations incorporating such a drive system.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to the invention a number of drive motors, by which a traction member such as a chain is driven, are distributed over the entire course taken by the member and throughout the length of the working.

The invention thus provides a mineral mining installation comprising a traction member for movement in relation to a mineral face in a mine working and a plurality of drive motors for moving the traction member, the motors being distributed along the length of the working. The installation preferably'has a conveyor arranged along the face and the drive motors can be on the mineral face side or on the stowage side of the conveyor. The motors may be disposed at a distance of about 50 metres apart and are preferably small-size hydraulic motors. It is advisable for all the drive motors distributed over the length of the working to be connected to one common power supply, e.g., pressure fluid conduit.

The inventionis thus a departure from the principle, used in practicefor decades, of merely arranging the traction member drives at one or both the ends of the working. In accordance with the invention the working energy transmitted to the member in each section between two successive drive motors in only a fraction of the energy which otherwise has to be transmitted to the member when the drive motors are only provided at the working ends. The overall tractive stress to which the traction member has to be subjected is thus reduced' and the friction losses and the wear are thus likewise reduced.

In mining installations in which, as in the case of a plough, the face is not attacked simultaneously over its entire length, but at separate points, bya mining machine moved along it, the maximum drive chain tension is concentrated on a comparatively small zone of the over-all length of the traction run of the drive chain. By comparison with the known drive systems, in which the traction run is always under tension over-the entire zone between the mining machine and the drive motor, the friction losses caused by the chain guides and thus the wear suffered by this latter can be considerably reduced by following the teaching of the present invention.

Each drive motor only transmits to the traction member that energy which is required in the particular zone associated with it. If, therefore, increased resistances occur in a zone during the mining process, the drive motor associated with that zone can temporarily supply an increased amount of power. The power requirement for the drive system of this invention can be smaller than that of the known systems.

According to a further feature of the invention, the drive motors can be accommodated in a guide member at the mineral face of the conveyor. The guide member preferably has an inclined ramp-like portion. The motors mayhave vertical driving shafts carrying pinions meshing with teeth provided on individual elements of the traction member.

On the other hand the drive motors can be situated on the stowage side of the conveyor. In this case the drive shafts of the motors may extend through the conveyor and carry pinions located in the guide member which mesh with the aforesaid teeth. In this case the conveyor may consist, in the conventional manner, of

channel sections joined end-to-end between which, at distances corresponding to the positions of the drive motors, are special short sections having double-walled floors defining cavities for receiving the drive shafts.

The elements of the traction member, which can take a plate-like form, can be provided with a multiplicity of ripping, cutting, loading and/or wedge tools. Where such cutters are provided they may produce a groove in the mineral face which isthen located by the guide member. i

The elementsmay also carry pins or similar guide means engaging in a channel within the guide member. The guide for a traction member equipped with cutters is preferably designed in such a manner that its end zone, toward the face, is lower than the tools penetrating the face. The depth of penetration can then be limited.

The invention may be understood more readily and various other features of the invention may become more apparent from consideration of the following description.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS Embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of examples only, with reference to the accompanying drawing, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic cross-sectional view of a mining installation made in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic cross-sectional view of a further installation made in accordance with the invention, and

FIG. 3 is a plan view of a traction member usable in the installations.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS As shown in FIG. 1, the installation depicted'has a longwall conveyor 2 disposed alongside a mineral face 4 in known manner. The conveyor 2 is composed of a series of channel or trough sections joined end-to-end and these sections can move relatively to one another through a limited small angle. On the mineral face side of the conveyor 2 is a guide member 1 again composed of individual sections arranged end-to-end and affixed to the conveyor sections. The member 1 may support a plough or some other machine in known manner. Each section of the member is formed from a onepiece component with a floor engaging portion adjoining an upstanding portion at the mineral face side of the conveyor. This upstanding portion in turn adjoins an inclined portion 3 acting as a ramp and projecting downwardly towards the mineral face 4. These portions 3 additionally act as a cover for the interior of the member 1. The portion 3 adjoins a further upstanding portion 5 which engages the mineral face on its outer surface and the portions 5 thereby act as a locating means for the member 1. The portion 5 adjoins at its lower end a tongue or lip 6 extending parallel to the floor portion.

The tongue 6 locates in a narrow groove 8 at the floor of the face 4. The groove 8 is produced by cutters 7 which are guided between the tongue 6 and the floor portion of the member 1.

The cutters 7 are formed on individual elements of a driven traction member 9. As shown in FIG. 3, the member 9 is formed from a plurality of pivotably interconnected plate-like elements or links 9'. Each of these elements 9' has the cutters 7 on one side edge and a plurality of teeth 10 on the opposite side edge. Each element 9' has an upstanding pin 17 which, as shown in FIG. I, locates in a guide channel 16, in the member 1. This guide channel is produced between the portion 5 of each section of the member and a bar 16 depending from and attached to the inner face of the portion 3 of the section. The member 9 is circulated along the face 4 to produce the groove 8 and the pins 17 in the channels 16' serve to guide the member during this movement. Other forms of guide means can however be provided.

The teeth 10 of the elements 9' serve to impart drive force to the member 9. A plurality of motors '12, preferably hydraulic motors, are disposed in the member 1 and distributed over the length of the working with a distance of about 50 metres between adjacent pairs of motors 12. The motors 12 are fed with common motive power and to this end a conduit 14 located in the member 1 can supply pressure fluid to the motors 12. The motors 12 have vertical output shafts 12' which carry pinions 11 meshing with the teeth 10 of the elements 9.

During operation, the motors l2 drive the member 9 along the face 4 to produce the groove 8 at the floor region of the face 4. The return run of the member 9 may be taken along the roof of the working so that the cutters 7 form a similar groove at the roof region of the face 4. Alternatively the return run of the member 9 can be taken along the stowage or goaf side of the con veyor. The traction member 9 may be used to drive a plough or the like (not shown) in which case the cutters 7 may or may not be used.

A different form of installation is depicted in FIG. 2. The guide member, here designated 1, is of similar shape to the guide member 1 in the FIG. l construction but is laterally smaller. The traction member here designated 9" is again composed of individual elements with cutters 7 each element has an upwardly extending portion 19 having the teeth 10' at its upper end. These teeth 10" mesh with pinions 11' carried on shafts 15. Each shaft 15 passes through the member 1 and through a cavity 18 formed between two spacedapart walls constituting the floor of a special channel section interposed with the normal channel sections of the conveyor 2.

The shafts 15 are connected to, or form, the output shafts of a plurality of motors (not shown) disposed on the stowage or goaf side of the conveyor 2. The motors, which again are preferably hydraulic motors, can be attached to the goaf side of the conveyor channel sections provided with the cavities l8 and distributed over the length of the working with about 50 metres between adjacent pairs of motors.

We claim:

1. A mineral mining installation comprising a traction member for movement in relation to a mineral face in a mine working, a conveyor extending alongside the mineral face, a guide member at the mineral face side of the conveyorfor supporting a mining machine, and a plurality of drive motors for driving the traction member, said drive motors being distributed along the length of the working and disposed-within said guide member.

2. An installation according to claim 1, wherein the drive motors are disposed so that adjacent pairs of drive motors are about 50 metres apart.

3. An installation according to claim 1, wherein the drive motors are hydraulic motors.

4. An installation according to claim 3, wherein the motors are fed with pressure fluid via a common conduit.

5. An installation according to claim 1, wherein the guide member has an inclined upper portion acting as a ramp and covering a space within the member containing the drive motors.

6. An installation according to claim 5, wherein the traction member has cutters for acting on the mineral face.

7. An installation according to claim 6, wherein the guide member has an upstanding portion which engages the mineral face and adjoins a projecting tongue for location in a groove produced in the mineral face by the cutters of the traction member.

8. An installation according to claim 1, wherein the traction member is composed of a series of interconnected elements, each element having a plurality of teeth meshing with pinions driven by the motors.

9. An installation according to claim 8, wherein the guide member has an upstanding portion which engages the mineral face and adjoins a projecting tongue for location in a groove produced in the mineral face by the traction member.

10. An installation according to claim 9, wherein the motors have vertical output shafts carrying the pinions.

11. An installation according to claim 8, wherein at least some of the elements carry guide means for engagement within a guide channel defined within the guide member. 1 g

12. A mineral mining installation comprising a traction member for movement in relation to a mineral face in a mine working, a conveyor extending alongside the 'mineral face, a guide member at the mineral face side of the conveyor for supporting a mining machine, the traction member being at least partly covered by the guide member at the mineral face side and a plurality of drive motors for driving the traction member, said motor being distributed along the length of the working and disposed at the side of the conveyor remote from the mineral face.

13. An installation according to claim 12, wherein the traction member has cutters for acting on the mineral face.

14. An installation according to claim 13, wherein the guide member has an upstanding portion which engages the mineral face and adjoins a projecting tongue for location in a groove produced in the mineral face by the cutters of the traction member.

15. An installation according to claim 12, wherein the traction member is composed of a series of interconnected elements, each element having a plurality of teeth meshing ith pinions driven by the motors.

16. An installation according to claim 15, wherein the elements have upstandingprojections carrying the teeth at their upper ends.

17. An installation according to claim 15, wherein the pinions are carried by shafts extending across the conveyor and driven by the motors.

18. An installation according to claim 17, wherein said shafts extend through cavities formed by a double walled floor of a conveyor channel section.

19. An installation according to claim 18, wherein the channel sections provided with said double walled .floors are interposed with normal channel sections.

20. An installation according to claim 12, wherein the drive motors are disposed so that adjacent pairs of drive motors are about 50 metres apart.

21. An installation according to claim 12, wherein the drive motors are hydraulic motors.

22. An installation according to claim 12, wherein the drive motors are fed with pressure fluid via a common conduit.

23. In a mineral mining installation comprising a conveyor arranged alongside a mineral. face in a mine working, a mining machine and means on the mineral face side of the conveyor for guiding said mining machine; the improvement comprising a traction member for driving said mining machine and a plurality of drive motors for driving the traction member, said motors being distributed along the length of theconveyor.

24. An installation according to claim 23, wherein the traction member is formed from a series of elements joined end-to-end, each element having teeth which mesh with pinions drivably coupled to said motors.

25. An installation according to claim 24, wherein each element of the traction member is additionally provided with one or more cutters for engaging the mineral face to form a guidance groove therein.

26. In a mineral mining installation. comprising a conveyor arranged alongside a mineral face in a mine working and means on the mineral face side of the conveyor for guiding a mining machine; the improvement motors. v 

1. A mineral mining installation comprising a traction member for movement in relation to a mineral face in a mine working, a conveyor extending alongside the mineral face, a guide member at the mineral face side of the conveyor for supporting a mining machine, and a plurality of drive motors for driving the traction member, said drive motors being distributed along the length of the working and disposed within said guide member.
 2. An installation according to claim 1, wherein the drive motors are disposed so that adjacent pairs of drive motors are about 50 metres apart.
 3. An installation according to claim 1, wherein the drive motors are hydraulic motors.
 4. An installation according to claim 3, wherein the motors are fed with pressure fluid via a common conduit.
 5. An installation according to claim 1, wherein the guide member has an inclined upper portion acting as a ramp and covering a space within the member containing the drive motors.
 6. An installation according to claim 5, wherein the traction member has cutters for acting on the mineral face.
 7. An installation according to claim 6, wherein the guide member has an upstanding portion which engages the mineral face and adjoins a projecting tongue for location in a groove produced in the mineral face by the cutters of the traction member.
 8. An installation according to claim 1, wherein the traction member is composed of a series of interconnected elements, each element having a plurality of teeth meshing with pinions driven by the motors.
 9. An installation according to claim 8, wherein the guide member has an upstanding portion which engages the mineral face and adjoins a projecting tongue for location in a groove produced in the mineral face by the traction member.
 10. An installation according to claim 9, wherein the motors have vertical output shafts carrying the pinions.
 11. An installation according to claim 8, wherein at least some of the elements carry guide means for engagement within a guide channel defined within the guide member.
 12. A mineral mining installation comprising a traction member for movement in relation to a mineral face in a mine working, a conveyor extending alongside the mineral face, a guide member at the mineral face side of the conveyor for supporting a mining machine, the traction member being at least partly covered by the guide member at the mineral face side and a plurality of drive motors for driving the traction member, said motor being distributed along the length of the working and disposed at the side of the conveyor remote from the mineral face.
 13. An installation according to claim 12, wherein the traction member has cutters for acting on the mineral face.
 14. An installation according to claim 13, wherein the guide member has an upstanding portion which engages the mineral face and adjoins a projecting tongue for location in a groove produced in the mineral face by the cutters of the traction member.
 15. An installation according to claim 12, wherein the traction member is composed of a series of interconnected elements, each element having a plurality of teeth meshing ith pinions driven by the motors.
 16. An installation according to claim 15, wherein the elements have upstanding projections carrying the teeth at their upper ends.
 17. An installation according to claim 15, wherein the pinions are carried by shafts extending across the conveyor and driven by the motors.
 18. An installation according to claim 17, wherein said shafts extend through cavities formed by a double walled floor of a conveyor channel section.
 19. An installation according to claim 18, wherein the channel sections provided with said double walled floors are interposed with normal channel sections.
 20. An installation according to claim 12, wherEin the drive motors are disposed so that adjacent pairs of drive motors are about 50 metres apart.
 21. An installation according to claim 12, wherein the drive motors are hydraulic motors.
 22. An installation according to claim 12, wherein the drive motors are fed with pressure fluid via a common conduit.
 23. In a mineral mining installation comprising a conveyor arranged alongside a mineral face in a mine working, a mining machine and means on the mineral face side of the conveyor for guiding said mining machine; the improvement comprising a traction member for driving said mining machine and a plurality of drive motors for driving the traction member, said motors being distributed along the length of the conveyor.
 24. An installation according to claim 23, wherein the traction member is formed from a series of elements joined end-to-end, each element having teeth which mesh with pinions drivably coupled to said motors.
 25. An installation according to claim 24, wherein each element of the traction member is additionally provided with one or more cutters for engaging the mineral face to form a guidance groove therein.
 26. In a mineral mining installation comprising a conveyor arranged alongside a mineral face in a mine working and means on the mineral face side of the conveyor for guiding a mining machine; the improvement comprising a traction member composed of a series of elements joined end-to-end and driven by a plurality of motors distributed along the length of the conveyor, each element being formed with one or more cutters for engaging the mineral face to thereby form a guidance groove therein and teeth; the teeth of the elements meshing with pinions drivably coupled to said motors. 